Win Rice's Remarks at the Groundbreaking ceremony

This Ground Breaking marks the birth of a new library building and the passing away of the old. It offers us an opportunity to reflect on the past achievements and to dream of the future. Many changes have been witnessed since our library first opened its doors. Yet, these changes will pale in comparison to the changes that will occur during the tenure of this new building. When our library first opened, knowledge consisted mostly of paper based books and journals. Today, libraries are faced by an explosion of knowledge of all types which are increasingly being stored, searched and distributed in electronic form. Before this new building reaches middle-age, more information will be accessed by people who are physically outside the library building than by those who are within its walls.
Along with these changes come many challenges. Among the most pressing, is how to pay for these changes. While we are all trying to weather the fiscal storm, the library is doubly affected. Not only is it faced with an explosion of books and journals in the traditional form, whose costs are skyrocketing, increasingly libraries must also provide access to knowledge in electronic form. Public access to this new electronic knowledge is crucial. Without properly equipped and staffed libraries, there is a danger of returning ,to a pre -Gutenberg society, where only the wealthy can afford access to this new electronic knowledge? The library needs our support to tackle these challenges.
Our campus mission has three areas of focus; research, education and patient care. I can think of no other part of our campus that is as crucial to our work in each of these areas as the medical library. While we are here to celebrate this much needed new facility, we also need to be aware of the many challenges the library will face while it occupies this new building. The library needs more than just a new building, it needs support from all of us.

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This Ground Breaking marks the birth of a new library building and the passing away of the old. It offers us an opportunity to reflect on the past achievements and to dream of the future. Many changes have been witnessed since our library first opened its doors. Yet, these changes will pale in comparison to the changes that will occur during the tenure of this new building. When our library first opened, knowledge consisted mostly of paper based books and journals. Today, libraries are faced by an explosion of knowledge of all types which are increasingly being stored, searched and distributed in electronic form. Before this new building reaches middle-age, more information will be accessed by people who are physically outside the library building than by those who are within its walls.
Along with these changes come many challenges. Among the most pressing, is how to pay for these changes. While we are all trying to weather the fiscal storm, the library is doubly affected. Not only is it faced with an explosion of books and journals in the traditional form, whose costs are skyrocketing, increasingly libraries must also provide access to knowledge in electronic form. Public access to this new electronic knowledge is crucial. Without properly equipped and staffed libraries, there is a danger of returning ,to a pre -Gutenberg society, where only the wealthy can afford access to this new electronic knowledge? The library needs our support to tackle these challenges.
Our campus mission has three areas of focus; research, education and patient care. I can think of no other part of our campus that is as crucial to our work in each of these areas as the medical library. While we are here to celebrate this much needed new facility, we also need to be aware of the many challenges the library will face while it occupies this new building. The library needs more than just a new building, it needs support from all of us.